KAIMaNA
Disappointing as the revelation is, you don't let your expression fall too far. Instead you listen carefully to Sunjata's description. The initial stages being similar to viral illness is not surprising - many more severe reactions start in similar ways. Nodding along, you wait patiently when the tall man pauses, giving him time to recount his thoughts. The experience cannot have been an easy one - something you can appreciate, and feel empathetic toward.
Your voice is gentle when you finally speak again. "You don't gotta talk about it if you don't wanna." Personally you have very few things you would not like to talk about, but you know that those things- well, you don't wanna talk about them. "I don't wanna make you uncomfortable. The blight- it's real interestin' how it happened. What it did. I wish there were still samples of it we could look at."
Your voice is gentle when you finally speak again. "You don't gotta talk about it if you don't wanna." Personally you have very few things you would not like to talk about, but you know that those things- well, you don't wanna talk about them. "I don't wanna make you uncomfortable. The blight- it's real interestin' how it happened. What it did. I wish there were still samples of it we could look at."
so peel away the bark
cus nothing grows when it's dark
and keep your eyes fixed on the sun
